Fawnstrike's Fables
by Amberstorm233
Summary: They say good things must come to an end. This isn't one of those times. Long ago an elder told many stories about the lives of cats. No one else has told stories like his for ages. But now, I will continue his legacy. Young ones, have you heard about the beech who saved a Clan? Or the bitter quail? Let's come together for the first story. (Sequel to Darktail's Tales)
1. Beechpaw

**Hello guys, I'm Amberstorm233 and as you may or may not know, IWalkBlindlyIntoThewShadows has lost interest in Darktail's Tales. I'm happy to say I'm continuing Darktail's Tales or rather its sequel. Much like the first story, these aren't meant to be happy. Like before they are meant to be dark and sad. I'd prefer if there isn't a Brightfoot who doesn't like a cat or who was bullied and suddenly they have the best life. Of course that's being a bit overdramatic, but I hope you get what I mean.**

 **Unlike the last version however, I'll get all or at least most of the requests done before I ask for more. You guys will have a three day to a week where you can send in story request when I done with the batch before it. After those stories, the process will repeat.**

 **Now moving on, I'd prefer if you'd keep things somewhat realistic. Have realistic pelt colors which means no rainbow cats, no cats with neon colors, and nothing unnatural like a black cat with ginger spots or a silver cat with brown stripes. Besides that, try to have more realistic warrior names which means no Moon-/-moon, no –spirit unless it's a special case, no Thunder-, River-, Shadow-/-shadow, Star-, or Wind-/-wind, and nothing that the cats don't know about like Bear-, Elk-, Glass-, Sword-, etc. Lastly, I would like stories about kittypets, loners, rouges, tribe cats, and SkyClan. It's nice to have verity.**

 **Finally let's move on to the first story.**

* * *

 _Welcome kits I'm glad you have come._ _They say all good things must come to an end kits. But, this isn't one of those times. Long ago a great elder told many stories about pain, betrayal, hate and revenge. He told many stories from a stag who wanted to be a doe. Of a frog who hated his own croak. And a flower that was so beautiful, but wilted on the inside. No one else has told stories like his of great adventures and horrid tragedies. But now, I will continue his great legacy. Ah young kits, you will hear many stories. Has anyone told you about the beech that saved a Clan? Have you hear the one of a bitter quail? What about the scorching flames and rippling water? I know stories a many. Most are tragic, though. Now everyone get together because I have a story to tell. I'll only tell one for now. Ferretkit there's no need to whine, this isn't the only story I'll tell, it's only the beginning._

* * *

The dark tom silently padded out of camp with the light of the moon shining down on him. His black pelt glowed a silver and his path was brightly lit. Beechpaw sniffed the air looking for some prey. It was the tom's first time hunting alone during the night and he enjoyed the freedom. As he tasted the frosty air, the black tom scented a mouse. Grinning at his find, Beechpaw carefully stalked forward, searching for the small creature. Slipping through the large roots the apprentice found his prey in a small clearing which was bathed in the soft moonlight. Slowly he moved forward, careful not to startle his prey. As he prepared to pounce, a mew caught his attention. Looking away from his prey, the young tom glanced around him, wondering what cause the noise. After a few moments, Beechpaw went back to his hunt. Once more he prepared to pounce, this time doing so without distraction. As he buried his catch, the apprentice began to search for more food. While padding through the silent, leaf-bare night, Beechpaw heard another noise, this time it was more audible.

"Mama, when will we get our surprise," came the small mew of a kit.

"You'll see," a she-cat's voice replied sweetly. Once again there was silence. Padding towards the kit's voice, Beechpaw wondered what was going on. He quickly followed the three cats through the dense, charred and healing forest, trying to keep up with the trio. Finally for what seemed like ages, the three cats stopped in a clearing. Keeping his distance, Beechpaw noticed it was a queen, Flowercloud, with her sons Antkit and Reedkit and her daughter, Birdkit. _What are they doing out here_ , the black tom thought. He continued to watch them, keeping as still as possible.

"Flowercloud, how much longer do we have to go," Antkit whined. The she-cat smiled at her son.

"We don't have to go any further, we're here." All three kits smiled in relief and sat down next to each other, trying to keep warm. Quickly, the ThunderClan queen glanced at her surroundings, almost as if to make sure no one had followed her. "Okay kits, I need you to stand up again. It's time for your surprise," she purred with excitement. Merrily, the three six-moon old kits stood up, still pressed against each other.

"Now I need you to each close your eyes for this next part, alright?" The three small figures nodded and swiftly shut their eyes. Without a moment of hesitation, the queen unsheathed her claws and quickly sliced them across Reedkit's throat. The tom feel with a soft thud. Birdkit shuttered as her brother disappeared from her side.

"Mother, where's Reedkit? He was just next to me," the she-kit mewed as she peeked. As her eyes fully opened, Flowercloud swiped her claws across the kit's neck and she fell down as a silent cry escaped from her mouth. Finally Antkit opened his eyes, curious to see what had happened to his siblings. Glancing by his paws, the tom gasped.

"F-Flowercloud what happened to Birdkit and Reedkit? Why won't they get up," the ginger tom ask as his eyes laid on his brown siblings. Ignoring the question of her son, the ThunderClan queen snapped his neck and left his body by his littermates. As she turned, she smiled with satisfaction which sickened Beechpaw. _How could someone do that to their own kits_ , the apprentice thought. As he laid in his hiding spot, Flowercloud began approaching him. The apprentice gasped in fear before turning and bolting back to camp, forgetting about his hunt. As he ran, the tom kept on glancing behind him, making sure his Clanmate wasn't behind him. As he did so, Beechpaw stumbled down a slope and hit his head, knocking him out.

* * *

The amber eyed tom began to awaken. As he lifted his head, a throbbing began to forum, causing him to groan in pain.

"Oh Beechpaw, it's good to see you're awake," the medicine cat, Grassberry, purred. In a dazed state, Beechpaw glanced around in confusion.

"What happened," the tom asked. With some herbs in paw, Grassberry padded towards the tom.

"A few nights ago, we found you unconscious at the bottom of a slope. After we saw you were okay and still alive, we brought you to my den immediately. Thankfully you were okay, you just have a bump on your head and a few scratches. Sadly, we can't say the same thing about Reedkit, Antkit, or Birdkit." At the mention of their names, Beechpaw's senses became sharper.

"What do you mean," the black tom asked.

"We-We found them dead in a clearing. Flowercloud had noticed her kits had gone missing when she woke up and couldn't find them. The poor thing was a wreck. She searched camp and the forest, but she couldn't find them anywhere. First her mate and now her kits. How could StarClan be so cruel? Anyway, Brightstar sent out a patrol to find them and that's when we found you and their bodies…" the she-cat trailed off and had stopped talking altogether. The tom sighed after remembering the first from five moons ago. ThunderClan had thankfully lost only four cats during that time. They were Foxtail, Flowercloud's mate, Duskpaw, who was soon renamed Duskheart, Shortfeather, and Timberfrost. After they spoke and Grassberry stopped speaking, Beechpaw spotted Flowercloud padding by the medicine den. An uneasy prickle wormed its way through the amber eyed cat, causing the tom to feel uncomfortable. However the apprentice didn't know why. As he tried to remember the night before he was knocked out, the medicine cat disrupted him from his thoughts.

"Well moving on, how are you feeling?"

"Uh good I guess." Nodding, the medicine cat continued, "That's not a proper answer, but it's better than nothing. Anyway, you'll be off of training for a few more days until you're strong enough to hunt and fight again. I already informed Robinheart, so she knows to keep you off of training for a while." Keeping silent, Beechpaw simply nodded as he curled up in his nest. The tom still wondered why he felt an unease about Flowercloud, but he ignored the feeling and drifted off to sleep again.

* * *

Beechpaw had been out of duty for half a moon, however he was finally well enough to start training again. A few days before the apprentice began training once more, Beechpaw was questioned by Brightstar about the events of the night of the murders. However he didn't, or couldn't, remember. Finally after the same answer kept coming from him, the she-cat gave up on questioning the apprentice.

"Beechpaw, you have missed much training after your fall. Toady we'll go on border patrol and practice some fighting. How does that sound," Robinheart asked.

"Sounds like a plan." Nodding, the deputy began to announce patrols. "Finally, I want Robinheart, Beechpaw, Flowercloud, and Barkpelt to go on patrol," the tom finished. Beechpaw followed his mentor and his other Clanmates towards the entrance. He, Barkpelt, and Robinheart were ready, they were just waiting for the former queen. As she approached, Beechpaw felt his pelt prickle, much like it did when her name was first mentioned. The black tom hadn't seen the warrior since the day of her kits' death, however he couldn't help but to feel odd while the queen approached.

"You ready Flowercloud," Barkpelt asked, disrupting Beechpaw's thoughts. The Pale gray she-cat nodded and the patrol was off, heading to the WindClan border. The patrol padded in silence as Robinheart and Barkpelt didn't know what to say to the grieving mother. Beechpaw remained silent, still trying to figure out why Flowercloud made him uncomfortable.

"Okay we're at the first border marker. Robinheart, you make here," Barkpelt stated. The she-cat nodded and the patrol moved further up the border. Once again they stopped, this time with Barkpelt marking the border. That only left Flowercloud and Beechpaw. They walked in silence to the next border marker. When they got there, they were both silent.

"So do you want me to mark or…" the tom trailed off. Flowercloud glanced around her, as if to make sure no one was there. Quickly, she was lose to Beechpaw. Not even one mouse length separated them from each other.

"What did you see from that night," Flowercloud asked with a low growl. Beechpaw felt like he needed to run. His pelt was prickling uneasily with the she-cat so near and with the same feeling of unease.

"What do you remember that night," the mostly silent warrior demanded.

"I-I don't know. I-I don't remember much, j-j-just I was going out to hunt and then I was in the medicine den. That's it I swear." Flowercloud studied the apprentice with narrowed eyes before nodding.

"Okay then. You mark the border here and I'll mark the next one," the gray she-at replied with a hint of ice in her voice. As the warrior padded off, Beechpaw closed his eyes and was sucked into a memory. In his memory, he spotted Flowercloud padding towards him and the memory abruptly ended. Shaking his head, the tom marked the border and the patrol joined together once again.

* * *

The tom was in a strange place that seemed so familiar. The black apprentice gazed around at his surroundings. The amber eyed tom noticed he was in a forest that seemed oddly recognizable. Carefully, Beechpaw moved forward to see what was before him. The black tom spotted a clearing and peered into it. There he saw the deaths of the three kits, much like he did many nights before. As the memory got more intense, Beechpaw awoke with a start as he panted. There was still a silver moonlight that glowed through the apprentice's den. After he woke up, the tom's memory went away, making him forget again. Shaking his head, the black apprentice became restless. Unable to go back to sleep, the tom decided he'd walk around camp, not wanting to go back out to the forest again. As he got up and quietly moved around his denmates, the tom padded towards the entrance. Before he was able to get out of the den, Beechpaw stopped as he spotted Flowercloud sneaking out of camp. The tom froze, hoping the she-cat wouldn't see him. To his luck, the former queen didn't notice and slipped out of camp.

"What is she doing," the tom whispered to himself. Ignoring the events that just happened, he began to sit in the camp clearing. Slowly, he began to doze off, letting sleep come to him once again. A few hours later, there was a cry that split through the air. Startled awake, Beechpaw snapped his eyes open. The milky light of dawn was beginning to shine into ThunderClan's camp. In the middle of the clearing was the limp body of their deputy, Featherclaw. Daisyfall, the tom's mate, rushed forward and stuck her nose in his fur, crying.

"Wh-What happened to him," the she-at asked between sobs.

"I don't know. I was out picking herbs and I found his body. I'm so sorry Daisyfall," Grassberry replied. The warrior didn't answer as she sat by her mate's body in sadness. As the Clan gathered, Brightstar padded out of her den to see the commotion.

"What's going on," the pale leader asked. Grassberry explained everything to her leader while the Clan stood around awkwardly, not knowing what to do. Beechpaw sighed, shaking his head. The amber eyed tom gazed up and across the camp was Flowercloud. The she-cat stared narrowly at the tom and their gazes held. A chill rolled through Beechpaw as they gazed at each other. Finally, the memory of Flowercloud came back. She was in a clearing when he went out, but why? Shaking his head, the tom averted his gaze back towards the body of the deputy. After a few more moments, Brightstar and Grassberry appeared again.

"It has come to my attention that we need a new deputy. Tonight, I'll decide who it is. Until then I'd like Robinheart, Grassberry, Falconspots, and Weaselflight in my den. Until then, Lizardspring will send out patrols." The senior warriors nodded, following the ThunderClan leader. After patrols were announced, Beechpaw stayed in camp, waiting for his mentor. As he did so, his best friend, Palepaw, joined him.

"Hey Beechpaw, how are you," the light sandy-brown and white tom asked.

"Uh good I guess," the black apprentice replied awkwardly. Palepaw looked at his friend with confusion.

"Beechpaw that's not a proper answer. Come on, how do you really feel? I mean after you fell you've been acting…off," the tom replied. Beechpaw sighed, wondering how he'd tell Palepaw how he felt. He couldn't exactly say he felt uncomfortable around Flowercloud for no reason, but at the same time, he wanted to tell someone.

"Well let's just say I've been feeling…off I guess. I've been having weird dreams lately, but I-I just don't know if they're actually dreams or…memories." Palepaw waited for his friend to speak more, however the tom didn't continue.

"What are these dream-memory things like? What do you dream about," the pale tom asked. Beechpaw explained everything from his fall to how he feels around Flowercloud, and even the strange dreams. After their conversation, dusk finally came and with it, so did Brightstar, the other warriors, and the new choice for deputy. The ThunderClan warriors gathered at the older leader's command.

"As you all know, our deputy Featherclaw, has died at unknown claws, probably by the same cat who killed the kits. Though he is dead and we will mourn the loss, it's time to choose another deputy. We have talked and chosen our deputy to be Flowercloud. Do you accept this position?"

"I do," the she-cat replied. The ThunderClan cats cheered for their new deputy as an uneasy feeling overcame Beechpaw and even his friend Palepaw was having doubts.

* * *

It was only a few more hours before Beechpaw would become a full warrior. Though it had been nearly six moons sine the deaths if the kits, Beechpaw was proud to be finally made a warrior. The black apprentice decided to go hunting to celebrate his achievement and planned on catching something big for his Clanmates. The warrior apprentice tasted the air, searching for any wandering prey. As the amber eyed tom tasted the scent of mouse, he heard voices. Though he didn't know why, the moment felt all too familiar to him. Silently, the tom waited to hear more voices from the forest. To his luck, he heard them. Quietly, the tom followed the voices of the cats, she-cats, and found them in a small clearing. Beechpaw hid in the nearby bushes, careful not to make a sound.

"Flowercloud I already told you I'm sorry! I was pregnant at the time and couldn't help your kits! I'm sorry for you loss, but you need to let go of it," a queen named Russetheart replied.

"Ha tried to help?! Forget it Russetheart, I'm tired of your excuses." Before the ginger she-cat could reply, Flowercloud was on top of her smiling wildly. While Russetheart was in shock, the deputy clawed at the she-cat's throat, almost instantly killing her. Beechpaw softly gasped and stumbled back a few mouse lengths, careful not to attract her attention. Suddenly, the memory of the night of his fall came back to him. From his hunt to when he heard the voices to him seeing the murder of the kits and lastly running from Flowercloud. Shaking his head, the tom dashed away from Flowercloud, not turning to look back. The tom was only a fox length from camp. Beechpaw knew he was okay at that point and if Flowercloud kill him, the Clan would know I was her. As the black tom began to pad into camp, a growl sounded behind him.

"Beechpaw, I know what you saw," the voice of the deputy hissed with a sweet tone. The amber eyed tom froze in his tracks, scared for whatever might happen next.

"Wh-What are you talking about Flowercloud? I was just hunting and I was going back to camp," Beechpaw half-lied.

"Oh you were? Well if you were hunting, where's your prey? You didn't break the code by eating it, did you?" The black apprentice didn't know what to say and instead stayed silent. The two cats stood in the quiet, neither one making an effort to talk. Gluping, the black apprentice turned to face the gray she-cat.

"Flowercloud you-you know I'm going to have to tell the Clan. I-I saw you kill your kits and then Russetheart. I-I'm w-w-willing to bet you killed Featherclaw too," the tom replied. _No point in hiding it now. She knows I know she was the murder. It was only a matter of time_ , Beechpaw thought.

"Well then I knew it. I would kill you right now, but I'd be caught Beechpaw and I'm not about to be discovered now. As for telling your Clanmates, who would really believe you? You are just an apprentice, accusing the deputy of murder." Shaking her head, the ThunderClan deputy shook her head as she padded back to camp.

"Watch your back," she purred in a sickeningly sweet tone as she padded away. A chill rolled down the tom's spine after Flowercloud left. Taking a shaky breath, Beechpaw padded forward to camp, careful not to show his fear. After he entered he ate and relaxed before Brightstar called a meeting.

"I, Brightstar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn. Beechpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life," the elderly leader asked.

"I do," Beechpaw replied proudly.

"Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior name. Beechpaw, from this moment on you'll be known as Beechstorm. StarClan honors your loyalty and kindess, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

"Beechstorm, Beechstorm, Beechstorm," the warriors cheered. As they did, Beechstorm only felt guilt and shame. He knew that out in the forest Russetheart's lifeless body and in camp was her killer.

* * *

It was two weeks after the death of Russetheart. Beechstorm hadn't told Palefrost what he'd seen, let alone any of his Clanmates. The tom knew it was wrong to keep the information from his Clanmates, however how was the tom supposed to tell them their deputy was a murderer? The tom sighed, confused on what to do. As he padded around camp, the tom was stopped by Grassberry.

"Beechstorm, may I speak to you in my den," the pale brown tabby asked. Beechstorm nodded, following the ThunderClan medicine cat. When they reached the den, Grassberry and the new warrior sat.

"Beechstorm, I've noticed you've been acting strange since you became a warrior. Is everything okay," the she-cat asked. The black tom sighed. What she he supposed to tell her, the truth? Maybe she'd believe him or maybe she'd just laugh. Even still it was worth a shot.

"Well you see…I saw Birdkit, Reedkit, and Antkit killed and I also saw Russetheart die as well." Grassberry stared at the tom in confusion.

"You-You saw them die? You remember," the medicine cat asked. Beechstorm nodded.

"Well then, who killed them?" Beechstorm diverted his gaze from Grassberry and looked at his paws.

"It was…Flowercloud," he whispered. The tabby gasped then shook her head. Quickly she replied, "It can't be. She was so hurt when he kits died and she mourned the death of Russetheart. Wait, could she have killed Featherclaw too?" The black tom hadn't thought that it the deputy could've killed the gray tom. Sighing the tom shrugged, "I don't know," he replied. Grassberry shook her head with a sigh.

"Have you told anyone else?"

"Yes, but only Palefrost. Even if we did tell the rest of the Clan, could they believe me? Would they even try too? I only became a warrior about half a moon ago and who would believe me? I'm not trying to whine or be a downer, but I didn't remember anything from the night of the kits' murder. Heck, they might even say Russeteheart's death was nerves." The black tom shook his head and let out a long breath. Suddenly, he felt the tail of Grassberry on him.

"Hey I believe you and I'm sure many other warriors would too. We need to tell someone though. Maybe we can convince Brightstar," the brown tabby suggest. Before Beechpaw could reply, Graybriar burst in the den.

"Grassberry, Brightstar is sick. Or there's at least something wrong with her." Both ThunderClan cats looked at each other before bounding away. While Beechstorm waited outside the leaders' den, Grassberry rushed to Brightstar to check on the elderly she-cat. A few moments later, the medicine cat stepped out with their leader by her side. Quickly, the she-cats padded to the medicine den, so work could be done. The warriors waited until moonhigh for news and they dreaded it.

"She has greencough and must be kept away. I'm not sure if she'll survive, but I'll try my best. Patchrunner, can you check the others and make sure no one else has the sickness?" The patched tabby tom nodded and began checking on the elders. As the chaos died down, Beechstorm shook his head, unsure on what to expect next. Their leader was sick and could possibly die. If Brightstar joined the ancestors, that would mean ThunderClan would have a killer for a leader.

* * *

The ThunderClan leader had gotten sicker and weaker as time went by and she looked like she wouldn't get better. The warriors waited for nearly a moon for their leader to get better, however she only got worse. Finally, the news had come from Flowercloud herself about their leader.

"I am sorry to say, but Brightstar has died. As you all know she had greencough and there was sadly nothing Grassberry or Patchrunner could do for her. May our ancestors light her path. With that said, I am your new leader now. I will get my lives and leave when the sun begins to go down. Before I do so, I have to choose my deputy." The leader paused as she gazed at the faces of her cats. Before she continued, Beechstorm had enough of her lies and treachery. The tom knew if she became leader, the entire Clan would be in jeopardy.

"Murderer," he yowled as he rushed up. All eyes were on him as the warriors started to whisper.

"Excuse me Beechstorm? What do you mean murder?"

"I mean you were the killer! You killed Featherclaw, Russetheart, and your kits for no reason! None at all," the tom yelled. Flowercloud chuckled it off.

"What you think I murdered them? You realize how much it hurt when my kits died, right? Also I mourned the deaths of both Featherclaw and Russetheart after they died Beechstorm. Please, why would you have accusations?"

"Because…Because I saw on the nights you killed your kits and Russetheart!" The Clan cats gasped at the mention of the sightings. Flowercloud quickly passed, trying to come up with an answer.

"Now, now do you really believe this untrained apprentice over me," the she-at asked with a sickeningly sweet voice. At that moment, both Grassberry and Palefrost stood beside Beechstorm.

"I do Flowercloud! Beechstorm and I have been friends since we were kits and I know he wouldn't lie about something this big! He told me what you've done and I believe him," Palefrost yelled.

"I agree! I don't want a cat who kills her own kits and Clanmates to become leader," the tabby medicine cat agreed. Flowercloud narrowed her eyes and hissed. As she did so, Robinheart, Beechstorm's former mentor, stepped forward.

"Flowerstar is this true? Did you really kill those cats?"

"Yes! Fine I did it! Are you all happy you know the truth," the she-cat screeched.

"Flowerst-Flowercloud, why would you kill Featherclaw and Russetheart?! Heck, why would you kill your own kits?! They did nothing wrong and they trusted and loved you! You were there mother after all," Robinheart growled.

"Why?! My kits killed my mate! If he didn't have to after them in the fire then he'd still be alive! As for Featherclaw, he was right there before the tree crushed Foxtail! He could've done something for him before he was crushed. As for Russetheart, she didn't need to run away from the nursery. She could've helped my kits, so Foxtail wouldn't have died," the leader hissed viciously. Beechstorm growled and came closer to the she-cat.

"You will not be our leader Flowercloud! You have committed terrible crimes and you must pay for them! Does everyone agree that she shall be exiled," the black tom asked. Meows of agreement erupted from the Clan and the gray warrior knew she had lost. While everyone was distracted, Flowercloud unsheathed her claws. As Beechstorm had his back turned, the she-cat took her chance and pounced on the tom, mercilessly clawing at the tom. Finally she delivered the final blow by biting his throat. This angered, the ThunderClan warriors who growled and began attacking the she-cat.

"Beechstorm you won't die," Grassberry stated intensely. The tom coughed, knowing it was his last moments. By then, his old friend Palefrost joined him.

"Grassberry, Palefrost, thank you for believing me when no one else would. Th-Thank you for being a good friend. Please, I know I'm not leader, but maybe consider Paleforst as deputy. I know he'll make a good one." With that said the tom breathed his final breath and had stopped moving. Palefrost let out a cry of sadness and Grassberry hung her head. The tom was a hero and the Clan knew it. They would never forget Beechstorm, the tom who saved the Clan from Flowercloud's evil.

* * *

 _Well kits that's all for now. Now, now don't sigh, there is more to come another day. For now, let me rest with the other elders._

 **Well hope you guys liked the first chapter of Fawn's Legends. Now I'll be happily accepting story request for roughly three days to a week. So send in this forum**

 **Main Character(s):**

Who are the cats in the story? Please give all names if kit/apprentice/kittypet/loner and appearances

 **Plot:**

What is your story about? Tell me the plot here.

 **Deaths:**

Who dies? It can be 1 death to everyone dies


	2. Quailspring

_Welcome back young ones, I take it you want to hear another story? That's good because I have more to tell._

* * *

The pale light of dawn reached over the green moors. As the light brightened up WindClan's camp, a dark brown tom padded over to a gray tabby apprentice. With a sly grin, the tom softly jabbed a paw at her side.

"Quailpaw…Quailpaw time to wake up," the tom meowed. As he attempted to wake up the apprentice, she awoke, but refused to open her eyes. After a few moments, the brown warrior tried again.

"Come on Quailpaw, I know you're awake. Let's make things easier, otherwise I'll wake you up the hard way." The dark tabby moaned in annoyance as her eyes fluttered open.

"Can I sleep until sunhigh? I'm so tired Tawnydust," the apprentice complained. The dark tom let out a chuckle.

"No Quailpaw. Now come on and get up before I get a moss ball…filled with water." At this 'threat' the she-cat snapped up, almost fully awake. Shaking her pelt, the apprentice replied, "Okay, okay I'm up now. Happy?"

"I am now," the warrior laughed.

"So what are we doing? Going on a hunting patrol? Practicing battle moves?"

"Well we're actually going on border patrol. I thought it might be a good idea considering you are becoming a warrior today." At the mention of her ceremony, the she-cat grinned. The apprentice forgot she was becoming a warrior that day, but she couldn't wait.

"So who's coming on the patrol with us? Is Fawnpaw going?" Tawnydust nodded, "Yes, your sister is coming as well. After all, you two are having your ceremony together," the tom replied. Nodding the two padded towards the camp entrance. As they did so, Quailpaw spotted Pinefeather padding through camp.

"Tawnydust, could Pinefeather come too," the apprentice asked. Gazing up at the young tom, the brown WindClan warrior nodded.

"Sure," he replied curtly. With a slight smile, the dark gray tabby bounded up to her friend.

"Hey Pinefeather, do you want to go on border patrol with us?"

"Sure," the tom replied with a wide grin. The pair made their way over to Tawnydust as well as Fawnpaw, Quailspring's sister, and her mentor, Spottedshine.

"Everyone ready," Spottedshine asked. After everyone nodded or agreed, the patrol went off to check the ThunderClan border.

"Hey Fawnpaw, can you mark the border here," Tawnydust asked. The dappled tortoiseshell nodded as Quailpaw, Tawnydust and Pinefeather padded off. After they reached one of the last border markers, Tawnydust glanced at the two.

"I'll mark here while you two go on ahead," the tom stated. Nodding the WindClan cats padded away. When Tawnydust was out of sight, the two gazed at each other.

"Wow, I can't believe you're finally becoming a warrior today! That's awesome," he purred.

"Thanks. So how are you," the tabby asked. The pale brown warrior thought for a moment before answering.

"I'm good, thanks for asking. What about you?" Quailpaw shrugged, "I'm good. Excited and a tad nervous to become a warrior, but still good." The dark apprentice took in the crisp, leaf-fall air. As the WindClan cats padded along the ThunderClan border, a distant bark was heard. They gasped and turned in fear. Over the hill a large, pale figure appeared. It was a dog.

"Run," Pinefeather yowled in fear. Without a second thought, both cats darted towards the trees. "What about Tawnydust, Fawnpaw, and Spottedshine? We need to find a way to tell them," Quailpaw stated quickly. Pinefeather nodded.

"I know, but it's too late to go back now, right now we need to get you to safety," the brown and white warrior replied. Sighing, the she-cat focused at the task before them.

"Quailpaw, Pinefeather up here," a cat yelled. After momentarily stopping, the WindClan warriors gazed up an oak.

"Quite looking so stupid and get up here! The dog's getting closer,"Spottedshine snapped. Going first, Quailpaw shakily made her way up the tree with Pinefeather not too far behind. As a WindClan warrior, the she-cat wasn't use to climbing and actually hated heights. Glancing down, the apprentice quite focusing where she was going and misplaced her paw. Suddenly, she lost her grip and found herself falling to the ground.

"Quailpaw," Pinefeather yowled. As the ginger tabby prepared to leap down, he was stopped by Tawnydust and Spottedshine, both who were stronger than him. The tom attempted to struggle out of their grip, however he fail. In a dazed state, Quailpaw carefully got up shaking her head. Before she could try and climb the tree again, the dog was near her. Gasping, the she-cat staggered to her paws and began to run. Limping on one of her legs, the dark tabby had to run three-legged which only slowed her down more. Even if she could run to her full potential, it was too late. The large cream dog growled at the apprentice, before rushing towards her. Frozen in fear it was too late to run and the dog caught her.

"Quailpaw," Pinefeather yowled again. The tom thrashed until both Spottedshine and Tawnydust let of him. Quickly, they both followed him down the tree with Fawnpaw close behind. Quailpaw saw them speaking, and yet she couldn't hear them. All she could hear was the dog growling and surprisingly, some quiet. The dog jerked its head in all directions, refusing to loosen its grip or let go. Finally it put Quailpaw down, but it still refused to stop the attack. The large, savage creature went at her again, mercilessly biting at the tabby. All Quailpaw could feel was pain and then a numbness. Finally, she quit feeling fresh bite marks and watched, or at least she think she did, as the beast ran away. Before she blacked out, she could see the horrified looks of her Clanmates, sister, and Pinefeather.

* * *

With confusion, the WindClan she-cat began to breathe heavily as she lifted her head. With a scream, Quailpaw didn't know where she was, who she was with, or what was happening to her.

"Help, help the-the dog! The dog it-its attacking me! Tawnydust, Mintflight, Fawnpaw, Pinefeather, anyone," she yowled, repeating it over and over again. Minkheart, the medicine cat, rushed into his den with Fawnpaw and Pinefeather not too far behind.

"Quailspring, Quailspring it's okay, you're fine! The dog isn't here anymore and you're okay," the voice of Pinefeather comforted. Still breathing heavily, Quailpaw stopped screaming.

"F-Fawnpaw? Pinefeather? I-I'm so happy to see you, but wh-what happened? And-And why were you calling me Quailspring? That's not my name." Though the fear had stopped, Quailpaw noticed something she didn't before, she couldn't see out of one eye and the other had a slight haze to it. Inhaling sharply, the apprentice gazed at her friends.

"What's wrong with my eyes? I-I can't see out of one and the other is slightly foggy," she replied. Pinefeather sighed while Fawnpaw looked away.

"What's wrong," the dark tabby asked in confusion.

"Well nothing really. Hey, you got your name and I got mine. Quailpaw, you're Quailspring now, that's why Pinefeather was calling you Quailspring. Also, I-I'm Fawndapple now, what do you think," the new warrior asked in an attempt to get her sister's mind off of her fear.

"That's great, but what's wrong with my appearance? I can't see out of one eye, the other is foggy, and now that I think about, I can't hear you guys very well with either. Please tell me what's going on." The silent Minkheart sighed, shaking his head.

"Are you sure you want to know," he asked softly. The dark gray she-cat nodded and the brown tom led her own. Still limping, Quailspring quickly followed the tom towards a puddle. After tasting the air, Quailspring concluded that it had rained last night and smiled. She enjoyed the rain, however it wasn't the time to ponder at it. They stopped a few mouse tail lengths from the puddle's edge.

"You sure you want to go through with this," the tom asked. Quailspring nodded, "Yeah, I'm sure." Sighing the tom flicked his head and the she-cat padded towards the puddle. As she did so, she could hear the whispers of her Clanmates as she passed by them, making her even more nervous. Finally she looked down and saw a horrid sight. The reflection look back at her had a whole patch of fur missing on the side of the side of its face while the other had a paler yellow look to it. One ear was torn clean off while the other was shredded. Looking at the creature's pelt, she noticed it had a few small patches of fur torn off here and there as well as a few scars. Looking at one of the paws, Quailspring noticed it was scarred up as well, however the foot was still there, intact, and still usable. After a few moments of staring, Quailspring realized that was how she looked. Turning away, the she-cat let out a breathe and began to cry. Pinefeather padded over to comfort her, however Quailspring could never unsee what she saw.

* * *

After a moon of recovering from her attack in a coma and after another moon resting in the medicine den, it was finally time to decide what to do with Quailsrping. She couldn't be a moor-runner anymore due to her paw, however she also couldn't be a tunnler because of her paw as well. Lichenstar didn't want Quailspring to become an elder because he didn't want her to feel useless, so what could her rank be?

"Quailspring, may you come into my den," Lichenstar asked. The tabby nodded, following the tom. In the den, Minkheart sat waiting for them. The she-cat sat in confusion, wondering what was in store for her.

"Quailspring, as you know you can no longer take on the duties of a warrior due to your injury to your foot. However, we don't want you to be an elder because I know you still want a part in the Clan. Am I wrong," the tom asked. The dark gray she-cat shook her head.

"Y-You're right Lichenstar, I don't want to be a burden to the Clan." Nodding, Minkheart was the next to speak.

"Quailspring, what do you think about being my apprentice? I'm getting older and who knows how much longer I'll be in WindClan, however I need an apprentice and I was wondering if you would be mine? If you become the medicine cat apprentice you will help your Clan still and will stay a part in helping," the tom replied. Quailspring gazed the tom considering his offer.

"If I become your apprentice, I can never take a mate or have kits? I-I can never live the life I wanted," the she-cat asked. Minkheart sighed and nodded, understanding the burden of a medicine cat. "We'll have the ceremony as soon as possible too," Lichenstar mentioned as if to sweeten the offer. Knowing both toms were right, the she-cat nodded knowing it was the only way. "I'll do it. I accept the positon as medicine cat apprentice." Lichenstar nodded and Minkheart half-smiled before exiting the den for the ceremony. Sighing, Quailspring followed both toms into WindClan's camp.

* * *

It had been a few moons after Quailspring became medicine cat apprentice. Admittedly, she was enjoying being a part of the Clan and helping them in a different way. However, she wished she could be alongside Pinefeather, hunting for her Clan.

"Quailspring, time to wake up. We have a busy day of sorting herbs," the dark gray tom stated. The new medicine cat apprentice groaned as she slowly got up which was a hard task within itself. Her injured paw was still causing her trouble, however Quailspring was now getting used to it. The tabby watched as the older tom sniffed through the herbs.

"Okay, we need more tansy, marigold, cobweb and lavender," the tom stated. The she-cat nodded and padded out of the medicine den. Minkheart led the way to WindClan's territory to find the needed herbs. The warm Greenleaf sun beaded down on the backs of the WindClan medicine cats. Quailspring yawned in boredom, wishing she had gotten more sleep. Shaking her head, the she-cat decided not to dwell on it. As she began to wake up more, Quailspring decided to look around at the surrounding scenery. Bright, fluffy clouds softly floated through the sky while robins flew to and fro, singing their joyful songs. As she continued to gaze at the sights, something caught her off guard.

"Quailspring, stop," Minkheart suddenly howled. The she-cat did as she was told as she stood still. Looking down, the dark tabby realized she almost stepped on some herbs. Herbs that they needed.

"S-Sorry Minkheart. I wasn't paying attention."

"Clearly you weren't. What if you were caring for a Clanmates and weren't paying attention? You need to be mindful of what you're doing," the tom stated. The apprentice nodded before picking the tansy. The she-cat and Minkheart made their way through the territory, stopping ever so often to check and pick the needed herbs. Finally, all the medicine was picked and quickly brought back to WindClan's camp. The medicine cats organized the herbs once more before they were able to rest for the rest of the afternoon. Quailspring settled in a shaded spot in the open camp.

"Hey, mind if I sit here," a tom's voice asked. Whipping around, the tabby noticed it was Pinefeather.

"No, of course not," the apprentice purred. Nodding, the tabby warrior sat close to her.

"So, how's medicine cat training? Do you like it," the ginger and white tabby asked. The dark brown apprentice shrugged.

"A bit boing, but enjoyable. I mean, at least I'm still a part of the Clan," the tabby mumbled. Pinefeather laughed lightly. For a moment, the medicine cat apprentice felt like a true warrior. She felt like she was an apprentice once more, hanging out with her friends. The pair sat closely and purred. Clearly, they still had feelings for one another. Not even a change of rank of injuries could deny that. The moment was perfect, but of course perfect moments never last.

"Pinefeather, quite laying around and let's go hunting! I called you many times, so let's go," Spottedshine yelled towards the ginger tom. The green eyed warrior replied, "Coming!" Turning back to Quailspring he shook his head. "Sorry about that Quailspring. Hey, let's try to talk later, okay?"

"Yeah okay. You know what, I probably need to go back and help Minkheart anyway. See you soon." The pair left in different directions, going about their induvial duties. Quailspring sorted herbs in the den quietly as the sun moved passed the horizon.

* * *

Quailspring laid in the WindClan's camp, happily relaxing after non-stop training with Minkheart. Though her training was nearly done, the she-cat was still being worked from dawn until dusk. As the medicine cat apprentice relaxed in the warm sunlight, she heard someone approach. Looking up with her good eye, Quailspring grinned. It was Pinefeather.

"Hey Quailspring, can we go for a walk," Pinefeather ask. It had been a few moons sine the two were able to talk. Let alone go somewhere together.

"Of course," the she-cat replied. Nodding, the ginger and white tom padded out of camp with her. For a few moments, the former warrior apprentice enjoyed the tom's company. Smiling, she gazed at him longingly. Her feelings for the tom had never gone away; in fact, they only deepened. When they were a far from camp, Pinefeather turned to Quailspring.

"Can I tell you something, Quailspring?" The dark tabby nodded. _Maybe, we can find a way to be mates! Maybe he sees past my injuries and somehow he can help me deal with them! Maybe we can be warriors together and raise a family_ , she thought excitedly.

"I've been thinking lately and I've realized something. Fawndapple and I have been hanging around lately after the…accident. I've gotten to know her like I know you. And you know what she's nice. In fact, wonderful! I love my time with her and you know what? I think I love her." Quailspring stopped in her tracks. The last words shattered her; leaving her empty.

"Y-You love her? That's great," the medicine cat apprentice whispered. She was broken, but didn't let her pain show.

"I do. And I think I'll ask her to be my mate." Taking a deep breath, the she-cat nodded.

"Sounds great. Well anyway I should get back. You know, I have herbs to organize, other things to throw out or get rid of. Well…See you later." Ending the walk, Quailspring rushed away in pain and sadness.

"I was foolish. I loved him at one point and thought he'd never give up on me. I was wrong," the medicine cat apprentice whispered to herself. Lashing her tail, she padded back to camp in silence.

* * *

The dark tabby awoke to a wheezing in the medicine den. Blinking her golden eye, the she-cat peered at her mentor's nest. He was coughing non-stop, scaring the medicine cat apprentice.

"Minkheart, what's going on? Are you alright?" The medicine cat wasn't that old even if he didn't believe it himself. He was very healthy, but something was off that day.

"I-I'm fine. Just a small cough," the tom replied. Unsure about his reply, Quailspring padded into the camp. A soft, glistening blanket of snow covered the grounds of the WindClan camp. Near the nursery, kits and apprentices alike were playing in the fluffy mounds while queens, elders and warriors watched them. Although she would've been happy by that notion, the tabby still felt broken and hollow after the last walk she had with Pinefeather. Although Quailspring knew she shouldn't be feeling sorry for herself over some tom, she couldn't help but think of what could've been. Sitting by the medicine den clearing, the apprentice decided to watch the younger kits and apprentices play in the snow.

"Hey Wolfkit, tag you're it," Mistlekit laughed.

"Hey, that's not fair! I wasn't looking," the tom replied. Mistlekit shrugged and the littermates just laughed. Quailspring smiled as she remembered her days as a kit.

" _Hey Fawnkit, I'll be Quailstar, the greatest and most valiant leader of WindClan! You can be Fawnstar, the enemy of WiundClan and the leader of ThunderClan," the young, dark tabby decided. Fawnkit laughed, "Okay! I, Fawnstar, shall defeat Quailstar! No one can beat my dumb, yet powerful Clan!"_

" _Well I can," Quailkit replied. The two she-kits mock battled each other with joy._ Quailspring smiled longingly as the memory faded away. She had always hoped as an apprentice and kit to be leader. Of course, it would never happen now. Once more the pain of reality returned to the medicine cat apprentice. Sighing once more, Quailspring rested her head on her paws. _Why couldn't Fawndapple have been injured? If only things were different_ , she thought. Suddenly, she shook her head in disappointment. _No, I'm sitting here feeling pity for myself! I'm whining to myself about how bad my life is, when it really isn't! I have a Clan that cares for me, I have a job that saves and helps injured or sick or injured Clanmates, and family as well as friends who love me! Instead of wallowing in my problems, I should embrace any happiness that comes my way_ , she thought with determination. Even after her decision to stop feeling sorry for herself, Quailspring couldn't help but still fell a twinge of pain every time she saw Pinefeather.

* * *

"Everyone, wake up! RiverClan is attacking," Smallfern yowled. Quailspring awoke with a start, barely having time to fully wake up. In an instant, the fish-loving warriors were hissing and on top of the startled WindClan cats.

"Q-Quailspring, grab some herbs and keep them on stand-by. We'll be needing them," Minkheart instructed. The weak tom's fur was tangled and unkempt while he looked like a thin, boney creature just waiting for death to take him. However, through his sickly state, his golden eyes shined with determination and a powerful hope. Quailspring quickly grabbed the needed herbs, repeating them in her head. _Marigold, cobweb, poppy seeds, chervil, nettle, horsetail, goldenrod_ \- the she-cat stopped thinking as she realized an enemy was in the medicine den. Without a second thought about safety or her injured paw, Quailspring pounced on the intruder. With a growl, she began to claw at the RiverClan warrior, making sure to make the tom leave and not come back to the herb filled den. As she relentlessly clawed at the dark gray warrior, he pushed her off and the two began to fight in the enclosed space.

"Get out of here you RiverClan scum," the dark tabby hissed. The tom ignored her as he scratched her face. Having enough, the apprentice sliced the tom's throat. With a final blow to the scarred side of her face, the tom fled the den. Quailspring bolted out of the den without a second thought of what could happen to her. In the camp, blood was being split everywhere and cats fell, very few getting up. As she watched the battle, the medicine cat apprentice spotted Pinefeather fighting with a larger she-cat. The two nipped at each other and hissed. The opposing she-cat pounced on the tabby and viciously claws at him before biting near his throat. Quailspring gasped, "Pinefeather!" Blindly, she rushed through the crowd of battling warriors and reached him. The large enemy warrior growled at her, clearly wanting to pick a fight.

"If you're wise, you'll not fight and risk killing a medicine cat," Quailspring replied sharply. With a few moments of hesitation, the warrior back down. Before she left she growled, "You're lucky you're a medicine cat." Quickly, she ran from the scene to fight another battle.

"Pinefeather, you okay?" The tom didn't answer, nor did her move.

"Pinefeather, are you okay," the gray tabby demanded. The tom groaned in reply.

"Come on, you need herbs fast," she stated as she lifted the heavy tom up. Leaning on her side, Pinefeather limped with Quailspring through the battlefield. At last, they reached the medicine den. Inside, Minkheart was preparing herbs while the apprentice placed her friend on her nest. For a moment, the tom closed his green eyes.

"Come on Pinefeather, don't go to sleep yet," she demanded.

"What, you think I'm going to die? Trust me, I want to miss my friend becoming a full medicine cat." Quailspring chuckled lightly as Minkheart grabbed marigold and cobweb. Without instruction, Quailspring began to chew up the marigold, creating a pulp. When she was done chewing, she placed the substance on the tom's wounds before helping put cobweb over it. "Go find others who need healing," Minkheart swiftly stated. Following the older tom's orders, Quailspring darted out of the den and back to the battlefield. Spotting Rainpaw by the apprentice's den, motionless, Quailspring immediately rushed towards the she-cat's side. Picking up the new apprentice, the medicine cat brought her over to the medicine den to be healed. After she helped the blue-gray 'paw, the medicine cat apprentice went out to the battlefield to search for more warriors who needed help.

"RiverClan, retreat," Sootstar, RiverClan's leader, yowled. In an instant, the night became silent like it was before. All around the camp, warriors were injured or dead. Whoever was injured the most was brought to the medicine den while the least affected helped retrieve the dead for their ceremony. As the warriors laid down the deceased and the medicine cats healed, Lichenstar called for a meeting. While she worked, Quailspring listened to the tom.

"My Clanmates, it is with a heavy heart I announce that Smallfern is dead." Instantly, whispers filled the camp about the dead deputy. Smallfern had been a beloved deputy by many and most of the warriors hoped she'd be leader. Lifting his tail up, the WindClan cats went silent.

"As you know, I must announce a new deputy." The tom paused for a moment, gazing at his Clanmates. "I say these words before StarClan, so that Blackflower may hear and approve of my choice. The new deputy of WindClan is Fawndapple." Sad heers erupted through the crowd of warriors, each one calling the name of the new deputy. The dark tabby smiled and cheered for the pale brown deputy as well. Although she was happy and proud of her sister, Quailspring couldn't help but to think, _that could've been me_.

* * *

The leafbare had been one of the worst for WindClan. At the beginning Minkheart was quite weakened, but healthy while the Clan thrived. However they first had the battle. During the rush of the night, part of the catmint had been destroyed. The precious herb was very important during the long moons of leafbare and it was nearly impossible to find. Besides that, many cats were lost during the battle. Sedgekit was killed by mistake. The small kit had been separated during the fight and was tragically trampled to death. Oakeyes, a warrior with great sight, Russetsnow, a kind tom, and the cranky, yet lovable Spottedshine were all victims of the battle. Lastly,poor Rainpaw's wounds were shown as too much, and the new apprentice died. However, she gained the name Rainheart in honor of her heroic death. With Minkheart weakened and Quailspring disabled, catmint was hard to come by. Cloverthorn and Oatfoot, both who were elders, died a few days after a greenough outbreak. The queens Morningnose, Hollytail, who was pregnant, and Nettlepool all passed on as well as a few kits. Minkheart soon followed. His unknown sickness and the effects of greencough proved too much and he was dead. Some warriors and apprentices were taken away from the sickness, weakening the already broken Clan. Worst of all though, Lichenstar had died. The tom had insisted the herbs be saved for the others, because he had many lives. However, the sickness proved too much and he died. Fawndapple had become Fawnstar and everything was slowly going back into balance.

* * *

The cool newleaf night was relaxing and calming. The camp was completely silent as the warriors of WindClan rested in peace. Suddenly, a cry split through the calm night, waking up the resting warriors. Blinking her good green eye open, Quailspring shook her fur as a ginger and white tom came in.

"Quailspring, Fawnstar is giving birth," he yowled in fear. The she-cat nodded and quickly grabbed the needed herbs.

"Are 'ou 'orried," Quailspring mumbled between her mouthful of supplies. The tom shook his head, "No, I know you will help her. You are the best medicine cat the Clan has." Feeling encouraged, Quailspring entered the den and placed the herbs down.

"Stay there Pinefeather, she's already stressed enough." The ginger and white tom nodded as he waited outside the den. Peering at her sister, Quailspring gave her a stick for pain as the first kit entered the world. She was a light brown and white tabby who was quite beautiful. Before she had a chance to help the kit towards her mother, the next kit came. It was a tom and he looked exactly like his mother. Placing both kits by her side, she waited for the next kit to be born. It was another tom. He looked exactly like his father. A pang hit the she-cat's heat as she gazed at the kits. Suddenly, a thought came to her. She was alone in the den with Fawnstar giving birth. The leader was in too much to notice anything odd that might happen. Perhaps there was a stillborn or one of the kits came out in a funny way. After all, weren't these kits supposed to be hers if she didn't have the accident? Like a hungry fox, she stared at the kits, but before anything else could happen, another kit was coming. Reacting quickly, Quailspring helped birthed the last kit and placed him by her side.

"Three toms and a she-cat," she announced when everything was done. Letting Pinefeather though, the medicine thought for a moment what it would be like if those kits were hers. Those kits…They could've been mine and Pinefeather's. I could've been leader and we could've been mates. And those kits would be ours," she thought for a mere second. A smile slowly crept onto her face with the thought of those four kits being hers. And the thought she could be the one with nine lives in the nursery instead of Fawnstar. _No_ , she growled in her head. _I should be happy for my sister and her mate! They're my friends and family and I should be planning to help them all I can! I shouldn't be planning the death of these newborns!_ Even still, the thought of some sort of accident for the tiny balls of fluff never left her mind.

* * *

Quailspring awoke to a stirring inside her den. Blinking her one green eyes open, the medicine cat spotted four kits in the den.

"Hey, look at this! Isn't a cool looking herb," a pale brown and white she-kit exclaimed.

"Quiet Rabbitkit, otherwise you'll get us all in trouble," a light, dappled brown tom replied in annoyance.

"Will you both just be quiet before we get in trouble? If Fawnstar or Pinefeather find us in here, we'll get in so much trouble." As the kits argued, Quailspring debated whether she should get up or not. The gray tabby decided to watch the group to see what might happen. After a few more minutes of arguing, a third tom exclaimed, "Hey guys, look at these weird berries I found? Aren't they amazing?" The other kits padded closer to the young tom in interest. Quickly, Quailspring realized what the berries were. _Deathberries_ , she thought. The green eyed she-cat came close to getting up, however she stopped herself. _Perhaps these unwanted reminders might eat them. Perhaps they might even die._ For a moment, the sly thought made her smile. Once again though, she shook her head. _No, they are my kin! They are my sister's kits! How can I just let them die_ , she thought. Getting up as fast as possible, she rushed towards the kits shouting, "No!" The frightened young jumped back in surprise.

"What do you think you were doing? These can kill you, you know," she growled.

"S-Sorry Quailspring, we didn't know," a ginger and white tom whimpered.

"It's okay Foxkit. I forgive you guys. However, what would your mother think if she found you dead in here? How do you think I feel with you messing with my herbs and almost dying," she asked. Deerkit, the brown dappled tom, padded towards his kin.

"We promise to never come in here again." The gray tabby smiled at the kits.

"I understand, now why don't you four get back to your mother?"

"Okay," Vinekit replied. The four kits padded back out of the den and towards the nursery. Quailspring smiled for a moment with genuine happiness. But of course, a thought came back to her mind. She could've killed the kits. Those awful reminders, of what could've been. What _should've_ been. Quailspring sighed, conflicted with the choices. She watched the four kits bound to their mother with joy and that's when she knew what had to be done.

* * *

The dark gray tabby had been planning for a moon. Every day she watched bitterly as the four kits grew. She watched how happy they were all together and desperately wished to trade places with her sister. Even if they couldn't trade lives, at least she'd get rid of the reminders of her pain. The plan was going to go through that night. All four of the kits, or at least two, would be long dead. They would disappear and no one would know what happened to them. Of course, night felt like moons away making it hard for her to wait. Quailspring watched the happy family play around and have fun. Once more she thought that she and Pinefeather should've been together. Happy with their family. She should've been Quailstar. She should've been the happy one. She should've been the one with the family she dreamed of. But of course she wasn't. Fawnstar got everything she wanted. Heck, the new queen didn't even want kits or a family, but now that she has it, she loves it. Quailspring shook her head as she glared at them.

"Hey Quailspring, I finished organizing the herbs. Is there anything else you want me to do," a light brown tabby tom asked. Turning around, Quailspring noticed it was her new apprentice, Hazelpaw. The tom was very hard working and had been a great help to her. Although he had only been apprenticed for a moon and a half, he was very knowledgeable of the herbs and had a passion for medicine. It was something she was proud of.

"Not now Hazelpaw. Hey, why don't you go play with the other apprentices and kits? And while you're at it, maybe get something to eat as well," the medicine cat suggested. The small tom nodded and padded into the WindClan clearing. A few hours later, the moon shone brightly above the camp and everyone was peacefully asleep. The sky was clear and the stars glistened brightly. Though the sight was stunning, Quailspring had other things on her mind. Padding towards the nursery, the medicine cat peered inside. Along with her sister, two three other queens were resting. Two were with kits and one was without.

"Hey kits, wake up," she whispered. After waiting a few more moments she whispered again. This time, it woke up Rabbitkit, Deerkit, and Vinekit. Foxkit was still sound asleep, undisturbed by the noise. Three will have to do then, the she-cat thought. After all, why risk waking Fawnstar, the other queens or kits up anyway?

"Quailspring, what do you want," Rabbitkit asked quietly.

"I need help with a special mission your mother sent me on. Come on you three, let's hurry before someone wakes up." All three awake kit looked excited. Quickly, they followed their kin of camp and into WindClan territory. No one spoke as they made their way across the vast territory. Finally, one of the kits spoke.

"Quailspring, where are we going," Deerkit asked.

"Well, you'll see when we get there," she replied. Her heart pounded as they made their way towards the gorge. They were so close to the end that Quailspring had trouble holding her excitement in. Finally, they were there. The water below rumbled. There was no way a warrior, let alone a kit, could survive the rapids.

"So, what's the special mission," Vinekit asked. Before any answer came, Quailspring grabbed the tom's scruff and tossed him into the water below. He landed with a splash and went under. He never came back up.

"Vinekit," Rabbitkit yowled as she and her brother rushed to the edge.

"Why did you do that," Rabbitkit demanded.

"Because of your mother! Because of what happened to me! I should've been leader and had the family I wanted and the tom I love! Fawnstar should be in my place! She should be the one injured without the family she never even wanted," the medicine cat screeched into the night. Horrified at her anger, Rabbitkit and Deerkit tried to run, but their efforts were in vain. Violently, Rabbitkit was pushed off the edge. The pretty brown and white kit landed on a ledge further below with a dull, airy thud. Despite her tiny body looking mangled and broken, she looked almost peaceful. Lastly from the trio of kits, Deerkit was frozen with fear. The small tom who looked exactly like his mother watched his kin, wondering what she'd do to him. They stared at each other for a long moment until Deerkit was finally pushed into the gorge lit his sister. He landed in the water and Quailspring watched as his little head bobbed in the water until it disappeared entirely. She had done it. All except one of the little brats were dead! She had killed three of the horrid reminders and all she felt was great joy. Quickly, she padded back to camp, waiting to see what would happen in the morning. The morning came unexpectedly fast as Quailspring awoke to a frantic cry.

"My kits?! Where are they," Fawnstar yowled in fear. Quailspring snickered, knowing exactly where they were; at the bottom of the gorge.

"Quailspring, have you seen Rabbitkit, Vinekit and Deerkit? They've gone missing," the queen asked. The dark gray tabby shook her head, "No, I haven't seen them, where are they?"

"I-I don't know. Oh Quailspring, I hope they're alright," the mother sighed. A slight twinge of guilt prickled at the medicine cat's pelt. Ignoring the feeling, she turned her attention back to her frantic sister.

"Perhaps they went out of camp? Maybe have Creekblaze send out a patrol? I know he'll even lead one himself," the she-cat suggested. By that time, Pinefeather had gone to join the pair.

"What's going on," he asked. The scared queen began to explain everything. As she did, more guilt pricked at the medicine cat. Ignoring it again she paid attention to the effort to find the lost kits. Many patrols were sent out in a desperate attempt to find the kits. Of course, Quailspring knew where they were. Patrol after patrol came back, each one with no evidence of the kits. Throughout the day, the dark tabby watched her Clanmates, friends and family as they went into a sadness for the kits. The guilty feelings came back throughout the day and finally, someone broke her.

"Oh Fawnstar, where did they go? I mean they couldn't have just disappeared like that," Pinefeather sighed. Although the tom always had his cool, Quailspring could tell he was on the verge of crying. Guilt stung her like a bee and the pain didn't go away. She had killed kits. She had killed three innocent kits who were her own kin. They had trusted and loved her and what did she do? She killed them. She killed them just because she was jealous and wished for things to be different. She let her self-pity decide her destiny and it led her down the path of murder. Shaking her head, the guilt grew more until she couldn't take it. Quailspring slipped from camp and ran towards the gorge as fast as she could. She was nearly to the sight of her crime when she heard a voice behind her.

"Quailspring, stop," Fawnstar yelled. Ignoring her sister and leader, she trudged on to the gorge. Finally she was at the endge and all that was between her and the water was a long way down.

"Quailspring, we know what you did. Th-There's no need to run," Pinefeather stated. The medicine cat didn't turn around. She still faced the gorge, wanting to meet a deadly, watery fate.

"Don't jump Quailspring! Look why did you kill our kits? They loved you and liked your company. Why did you betray them," Fawnstar asked. Quailspring turned and faced her Clanmates. "You want to know why? It's hurt me every day since you two became mates to see you together. Pinefeather, you know I've always loved you and I-I just couldn't let go of what could've been. Fawnstar, I've always wanted to be leader, but then I go injured. All my hopes of becoming a leader, being a loving mates towards Pinefeather, and having a family were torn the day that dog attacked me! I wanted to accept fate so badly, but I couldn't let go! And for that reason, your kits are dead! Because I was too _selfish_ to let go, of what could've been I was blinded and stupid. I'm so sorry my love. I'm so sorry my sister. Most of all, I'm sorry to your kits." With those final words of anger and hate of herself, Quailspring jumped. Closing her eyes, she let her body crash into the water and she never went back up.


	3. Duskfur

**This story was requested by the lovely Thundergames. Thanks for the first idea, it was very fun to write!**

* * *

 _Ah welcome back little ones. You've come for another story I see. Well I have a good one to tell, so settle down so I can begin. Waspkit, that goes for you too._

* * *

The dark gray tom gazed up at the glistening stars. With a sigh he slightly smiled at the sky, remembering his mentor, Newtflower. The tortoiseshell had passed away a moon ago, leaving him as the sole medicine cat of his Clan. After a couple of moments, the tom decided to leave. However before he did, he spotted a small bush of rush being protected by some mud. As he gazed at the odd sight, he had no idea what to think of it. In his confusion, a StarClan warrior appeared. The warrior was a dark ginger tabby. Although there were no visible stars in his pelt, the tom knew he was one of his warrior ancestors. As the figure got closer, he realized who it was.

"Rowanfang? Is that you," he asked. The tom had died many moons before Newtflower, but he hadn't seen him in StarClan. Even if he did, Duskfur was never close to the tom and had nearly forgotten about him.

"Yes it is Duskfur," the tom replied. The gray medicine cat nodded. "Are you here because of that omen?"

"Yes. Although it is supposed to be the medicine cat's job to figure those things out, I come here to tell you the meaning before it's too late." Still unsure about the situation, Duskfur listened to what the warrior had to say.

"You see, StarClan has sent me down here to tell you who the next medicine cat is meant to be. Mudkit has been foretold to have extraordinary memory and amazing skill when it comes to medicine. You see, she needs to be your apprentice." The tabby thought for a moment and nodded.

"Now that you mention it, she does seem to have a fairly good memory. Now, is there anything else," the RiverClan medicine cat asked. Rownfang nodded with a sigh. "There is one more thing. It may seem terrible and tragic, but it's for the good of the Clan." Duskfur waited to see what the tom meant, worried that it may be something horrid. He was right.

"I'm sorry to say this, but Mudkit must be crippled." The gray tabby stepped back a bit at the news.

"She must be crippled? What kind of sick joke is this," Duskfur demanded. Rowanfang shook his head. "It's no joke Duskfur. She needs to be crippled by you. I apologize for this, but it's the way it must be. After all, you saw the omen and it is the will of StarClan after all."

"No," Duskfur growled as he shook his head, "I refuse to do it Rowanfang! She doesn't need to be crippled in order to be a medicine cat. There are other ways to make her one," the RiverClan cat insisted. Once more Rowanfang shook his head.

"There is no other way. Think about it. She enjoys swimming and being a medicine cat will do little of it. What if her will to swim is so strong that she becomes a warrior apprentice? Would you really want to risk such great skill going to waste? Come on Duskfur, you're smart. Think about how many lives would be saved because of her? What's one crippled cat against a whole Clan of injured or sick warriors?" The tom shook his head, but thought for a moment. Perhaps, Rowanfang had a point. If Mudkit did have amazing skill like this, why keep it from the Clan. Seeing as there was no other choice, Duskfur agreed.

"Fine, I'll do it. But, you sure she actually does have these great skills?"

"Absolutely." Without another word, the tom disappeared as Duskfur awoke. The dark gray tabby blinked the sleep away from his eyes. With a yawn, the medicine cat padded out of the den and into RiverClan's clearing. There, he watched as kits played, apprentices took care of elder and as warriors talked. As he gazed around the camp, his green eyes landed on Mudkit. The tiny brown tabby was joyfully splashing in the water. As he watched the kit, his dream came back into his mind. He knew somehow Mudkit had to be injured, but how? As he pondered on what he'd do, he heard Mudkit yell, "Hey Owlkit, watch this." As the small, light brown tom gazed at his friend, the she-cat ran towards the creek near RiverClan's camp. Before jumping into the creek, the white-pawed she-kit lost her balance and tumbled down into the water.

"Mudkit," Honeypelt, Mudkit's mother, yowled. Duskfur rushed towards the scene, trying to see if Mudkit was okay. The warriors gazed down to the creek, trying to see if the kit was alright.

"Mudkit, are you okay," Eelface, her father, asked. The brown tabby groaned and blinked her yellow eyes open. The she-cat lifted up her head and stated, "I-I'm okay. I'll j-just get back up there." As she tried to get up, Duskfur noticed that one of her front paws was damaged as well as her tail. Slowly, a few RiverClan warriors went to retrieve the kit. Quickly, they brought the she-cat to the medicine den where they laid her down in a nest. Not too far behind was Duskfur and the she-cat's parents. When they reached the den, Honeypelt rushed to her daughter in worry.

"Mudkit are you okay," the queen asked her daughter.

"My left paw and tail hurt, but I'm kay besides that," the four moon old kit replied. Duskfur examined the kit, noting her severely injured features. Both her tail and paw were bleeding. The gray tom could see a bit of bone sticking out of her paw. Instantly, he knew how to cripple the kits.

"I need everyone out while I take care of Mudkit," the medicine cat demanded. Reluctantly, the kit's parents left him alone with the kit in the den. As soon as everyone was out of sight, the medicine cat looked around for something to infect her wounds with. After all, he infects the wounds, post pones healing and stops it to heal right, she'd be disabled. The kit laid still as Duskfur collected some dirt on the floor of the den. Quickly, he rubbed it on her wounds before treating her properly. He fixed her up before letting her rest. The deed had been done and RiverClan would get a new medicine cat apprentice.

* * *

The tom watched as Honeypelt and Eelface met with their daughter. He enjoyed seeing the family meet and talk. He enjoyed the enthusiasm of Mudkit and liked hearing her hopes and dreams of becoming a warrior. However, he knew that wouldn't happen.

"So, when I'm a warrior, I want to be called Mudstream! I'll be the best swimmer in all of RiverClan and I'll live a good life," she purred.

"That's great Mudkit," Honeypelt replied with a smile. After a few more minutes, Duskfur singled for Eelface and Honeypelt to leave.

"Sorry to cut this short, however I need to dress her wounds once more. Don't worry, you'll see her soon," the tom reassured. The pair nodded and left their daughter with the tom. As soon as he knew they were gone, Duskfur went right to work on her infected wounds. Besides making sure her injuries were infected, the tom also made a poor bind on her left paw. By doing that, the paw wouldn't heal right and it'd ensure she could become his apprentice. The tom chewed some tansy and sedge into a pulp before applying it on the she-cat. He quickly wrapped it up before letting her sleep. The wounds were infected, her paw would never heal, but above all, the Clan would flourish.

* * *

A moon after the kit's injury, she was ready to go. At least she was, considering she'd never be a warrior. It was time for the news to be broken to the kit and her parents. The tom had waited and dreaded that moment when the family would be told the news. All gathered together, he was ready to tell them the truth.

"So, how's everything with Mudkit? She's healed now, right," Eelface asked.

"Don't worry father, I am. I just can't wait to start swimming again, so I can become the best warrior ever," the brown tabby kit replied. Taking in a deep breath, the tom got ready to break the news.

"Mudkit, Honeypelt and Eelface. I'm sorry to say this, but your paw didn't heal right and it got infected during the healing process. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you earlier, but I tried to heal her. Mudkit, you'll never be a warrior." As he told the family the news, guilt pricked his pelt, but he ignored it.

"I…What? I'll never be a warrior? I-I'll never swim again?! Please Duskfur, tell me you're lying," the kit whimpered. Before the gray medicine cat could answer, Honeypelt asked, "Duskfur, is it true? Wi-Will her paw never heal?" The tom sighed, "I'm afraid not Honeypelt and Eelface. Listen, I tried everything that I could. I tried to save her tail and paw. Though they're still there, her chances of becoming a warrior are slim to none." Honeypelt cried into Eelface's fur as Mudkit gazed emptily at the tom. Her bright yellow eyes now dulled with the depressing news. Leaving the family to mourn over the loss, the tom knew he needed to talk with Beechstar. Mudkit was five moons old and was soon going to be an apprentice. Before her fate was decided by the leader, Duskfur knew he needed to get her to agree to let Mudkit be his apprentice. Reaching the leader's den, the tom called in, "Beechstar, I need to talk to you about Mudkit."

"Come in," the leader replied. As he padded in, RiverClan's deputy, Ducktail, padded out. After nodding to the tom, the medicine cat sat beside his leader.

"Is Mudkit better?" Sighing, Duskfur was prepared to lie to his leader as well.

"You see, during the healing process things didn't go as planned. Her wounds became infected and her leg didn't heal right. Beechstar, I don't believe she's fit to become a warrior apprentice." The RiverClan leader stared in surprise at the tom.

"Are you joking?" The gray tabby shook his head. The leader lashed her tail.

"Surely that's a lie. Mudkit is a strong kit. She can become a great warrior with or without one paw. Many warriors before her have done so, what's stopping her?"

"I understand she's strong and that she might be able to pull through. However, I'm her medicine cat and I don't believe she's in the best condition for it." Beechstar growled.

"Duskfur, not only do we need more warrior apprentices right now, we also need strong, willing cats. Mudkit would make a fine warrior and perhaps even leader someday. She can and will become a warrior Duskfur. That is the end of it. Also, even if she weren't able to become a warrior, where would she be placed?"

"Beechstar, I understand your point about Mudkit. I'm aware RiverClan needs more warriors, but there's no hope in that for Mudkit. I know she'd make a good warrior, however she just won't heal. As for what her rank would be, I would be more than happy to take her as my apprentice. She seems to have a pretty good memory and if we want another medicine cat, I would love for it to be her." The white muzzled leader shook her head.

"Newtflower just died a moon ago and now you want an apprentice? Duskfur, you have a chance to get an apprentice at any time. Why are you so fixated on Mudkit?"

"She doesn't have any other rank she could be. I mean what's she supposed to do for the rest of her life? Become an elder and tell stories all day? Beechstar, I know you want her as a warrior and I understand that she would've made a good one. But face it, she'll never be a warrior or if she was, she'd never be a good one. I'm truly sorry Beechstar that Mudkit will never have another rank." The leader nodded, finally giving up the fight. Although he knew the she-cat was reluctant, the tom knew that RiverClan would have a great medicine cat in their midst.

* * *

The leader called a meeting of her Clan.

"Cats of RiverClan, as you know, I will not be around forever. So it's time I took an apprentice. I have chosen a cat who has shown wisdom and kindness. Your next medicine cat will be Mudkit."

"Myudpaw, do you accept the post of apprentice to Duskfur," Beechstar asked.

"I do," Mudpaw replied, clearly hating her new role.

"Then at the half-moon, you must travel to the Moonstone to be accepted by StarClan before the other medicine cats."

"The good wishes of all RiverClan will go with you." The ceremony ended and Mudpaw and her mentor padded into the medicine den. Duskfur wondered what they should do first. Although it might be helpful for later, the tom wanted to test out her memory instead of exploring the territory. After all, with her supposed amazing skill and memory, it's best to put it to use as soon as possible.

"Okay Mudpaw, I'm first going to show you some herbs. Remember their smell and name."

"Aren't we going to explore the territory first? I mean, shouldn't I know where are the herbs are," the brown tabby asked. Although she obviously disliked her chosen rank, there was a clear hope in her yellow eyes. However, he made the apprentice loose the hope.

"No, not today. It's very important that we start your training right away. Being a medicine cat is very important. You must memorize herbs, know their uses, know when they grow, know where to find them, how they help or hurt your Clanmates and who they should be used on. Of course, that's only the half of it. You must have a connection with StarClan, understand their ways, know how to interpret prophecies and omens and how to interact with our ancestors. I know it sounds complicated now, but just wait until you know all about it." Mudpaw looked lost. Chuckling, the tom began to pull out some more well-known herbs.

"Okay, smell these and look at them. Tell me what you think they are." Reluctantly, the new apprentice leaned forward and sniffed the herbs. Examining them, she was having a hard time trying to figure out what they were. After a couple of minutes, the she-cat finally gave an answer. Pointing to herbs with pointed leaves that smelled delicious, the tabby stated, "Catmint, right?" Duskfur nodded, however Mudpaw gave him a bored look. An awkward silence filled the den as Duskur waited for the she-cat to say or do something.

"So, are you guessing the others?" In front of the tom was the Catmint, small, black seeds, a white, stringy substance and a sweet-smelling, golden comb.

"Well, that white stuff is cobweb? And that comb honey," the apprentice asked. Duskfur nodded. Although she was having minor trouble with it, she seemed to know the medicine fairly well. Pride and happiness surged through Duskfur. He still felt a twinge of regret, however he knew Mudpaw would save RiverClan from any trouble they faced.

* * *

Mudpaw was three moons into her training. She was doing alright, however Duskfur knew she could be better. She had yet to show her near-mythical memorization, however her memory was defiantly above normal for a warrior, let alone a medicine cat. _What's going on, am I not training her right? Does she just have to grow into her skills? What's happening with her_ , the gray tabby tom thought. As he padded on, he felt something at his side.

"Duskfur, can we hurry? I want to get back and play with the other apprentices," the she-cat begged. The tom sighed, shaking his head.

"I understand you want to spend time with your friends, however we must get this done, Mudpaw. What's more important; playing with your friends while your Clanmates are sick, or healing the injured and sick?"

"Healing the sick," the young medicine cat grumbled. Duskfur nodded and the two moved on in silence, searching for herbs. The tabby watched as his apprentice sniffed around for anything that could be useful to RiverClan at the moment. Following her nose, the brown apprentice led Duskfur through the territory until they reached a strange plant. Instantly, the tom knew what the herb was; tansy. The apprentice sniffed the plant, trying to figure it out. The tom was tempted to tell Mudpaw the answer, however Duskfur kept his mouth shut.

"Is it marigold? Or horsetail," the white-pawed she-cat asked. With a sigh, Duskfur replied, "No, it's tansy. You know this herb and should've gotten it. Go ahead and pick some." With her head bowed, Mudpaw picked the herbs and followed the tom once more through the territory.

By the end of the day, both mentor and apprentice had no energy left. Quickly, Duskfur was able to settle down and fall asleep. As soon as his green eyes closed, the tom was sucked into darkness before he saw Rowanfang.

"Rowanfang, are you sure Mudpaw was meant to be my apprentice? She's hardly interested in the subject of medicine, her memorizing skills are above average, but weak and she's just not a good fit for medicine cat." The dark ginger tom chuckled and simply smiled.

"Ah Duskfur, everything will be reveled tomorrow during the half-moon gathering." Before the gray tabby could say anything, Rowanfang disappeared in a flash.

It was the night of the medicine cat gathering. The words of Rowanfang rang in the tom's ears as he was lost in deep thought. Suddenly, as he looked up, the tom spotted Mudpaw slipping out of camp. _What is she doing_ , the tom thought. Getting up, the medicine cat followed his apprentice out of the den and into the territory. Quietly he watched his apprentice move farther and farther away from RiverClan and closer to the edges of the territory. Finally, the brown tabby stopped at a ravine. Not paying attention, the tom rammed into some bushes, giving away his position.

"Duskfur, I know you're there," Mudpaw stated. Knowing he shouldn't lie, the gray tom padded towards his apprentice.

"What are you doing out here? We have a medicine cat meeting with the others soon and we need to get there before it starts." The tom began to lead the tabby away, but Mudpaw stayed where she was.

"Come on Mudpaw, we have to go! I swear, if you don't follow me right now, I'll make sure you're punished when we get back."

"No, I-I can't. Duskfur, do you really think I couldn't hear you in your dreams, talking to Rowanfang? Do you really believe that I didn't see or feel you put dirt on my wounds on that first day? I saw and heard it all. I understand though, you were told by our ancestors to do it and I can't blame you for that. Listen Duskfur, I'm not mad at you and I was happy you were my mentor. I did enjoy your company, but I can't live as a medicine cat. I'm sorry." With her words said, the apprentice let herself drop into the ravine. Rushing forward, Duskfur saw the she-cat disappear beneath the waves. Feeling numb, he stumbled away from the edge. All this time, Mudpaw knew what he did. She knew about his awful deed. And yet, she was glad to be his apprentice. Shaking his head the tom wonder what he done. Although he knew he had to tell someone about her death, he needed to have a word with any StarClan. More specifically, Rowanfang. Quickly, he travelled to the Moonstone going through the cave. After he entered, Duskfur spotted a sleeping Hazelleaf of WindClan, Shadefoot of ShadowClan and Patchheart of ThunderClan. After he made sure everyone was asleep, he touched his nose to the cool, pale blue stone, falling asleep. As soon as his vision faded, he quickly awoke, seeing StarClan warriors around him. As he stood in place, a familiar she-cat joined him. The young-looking tortoiseshell smiled sadly at Duskfur, clearly knowing what he witnessed.

"Newtflower, I have done something awful. I-I listened to Rowanfang and…And I basically caused Mudpaw's death," he cried.

"I know, I know. Duskfur, I'm sorry for your loss. I wish I could do something for you, but I can't. Even still, there's little time to weep about the death of your apprentice now. There's something I need to tell you." Looking up, the tom waited for his former mentor to tell him something.

"You see, Rowanfang tricked you." At the news, the gray tabby was caught off guard. Continuing the she-cat explained, "You see, Rowanfang was in love with Mudpaw's mother, Honeypelt, moons ago. However, when she chose Eelface, he was angered. Before he could do anything, he died. Many moons later after Mudpaw was born, he hatched a plan to destroy their lives and get revenge. That's where you come in. After faking that omen, he had you mostly convinced that his word was the truth. By using you to harm your apprentice, he was able to get revenge." Duskfur gazed around his surroundings, checking for Rowanfang.

"He's not here anymore, he's been banished to the Dark Forest," the she-cat stated, obviously knowing what her former apprentice was doing. The tom nodded, but anger slowly bubbled inside him.

"How could you let this happen? How could _StarClan_ let this happen?! An apprentice is dead because of him! Mudpaw's dead because of me! She trusted me to heal her…She wanted to be a warrior and wanted the name Mudstream. I betrayed her. I let her dreams get destroyed!"

"Duskfur, calm down. He's gone now. Gone, forever. He'll never harm another apprentice again," Newtflower replied with a soothing voice. The gray tabby shook his head.

"I don't care! StarClan is supposed to keep us safe and protect us from evils, not let them in! I don't care if he's gone from this place, you guys still let him through." Before Newtflower could say anything more, the tom began to walk away, getting up.

"I'm done with StarClan Newtflower. They have betrayed me and Mudpaw most of all. I will never listen to the will of StarClan again!" With that, Duskfur left for his Clan.


	4. Littlenose

**A/N: Hello everyone! I am back with another chapter of Fawnstrike's Fables. So, after a few months, you guys deserve an explanation on where I've been. Well, firstly with the school year I was busy. Then once I wasn't busy anymore, my charger broke to my writing vessel. Once I got a new one after two weeks, I was able to write on it for one day before it went screwy on me. After going screwy, it won't even charge so I'm stuck using my dad's computer to write with. Anyway, before my thing died, I was writing the chapter on Midnight. I have no idea If I'll rewrite it here or wait for my computer to be fixed, but until then I will give my own original works here and there for FsF.**

* * *

The ginger and white tom twined his tail with his elderly mate. The two watched the camp as they relaxed together. By the WindClan nursery, two queens were watching their own kits as they played around with each other. Littlenose smiled at his mate as the pair remembered their own kits. While going through various memories of their warrior days, the pair heard a cough behind them. Turning towards the noise, they noticed their denmate was the one coughing.

"Darktail, are you alright?" Roseheart asked in concern.

"Yes I'm fine. No need to worry about me," the tabby grumbled.

"Are you sure? I can get Mossleaf for you," the silver tabby offered.

"Roseheart, I said I'm fine. Please. leave me be," the tom mumbled once more. The former queen rolled her amber eyes before returning to watch the kits. As she did so, the coughing began again.

* * *

A few days later, Darktail was dead. After telling his final story to the apprentices and kits, he was gone. Honeyshine, Roseheart and Littlenose, as well as most of their Clanmates, mourned the loss of the beloved elder. Even his son, Hawkcloud, mourned despite the two never being close. As most warriors sat vigil for the tom, every apprentice and kit, despite their mothers' annoyance, sat with everyone else. Though everyone was affected by the tom's death, it seemed to hit the kits and apprentices worse.

"I wish there was something we can do. Darktail was an amazing tom with the greatest stories. Few could ever live up to him," Honeyshine commented.

"Well, perhaps we can tell our own stories. They may not be as good as Darktail's, however at least they're still his kind of stories," Littlenose added.

"That's true perhaps we can start tomorrow." With the elders in agreement, the Clan was silent once again. Through the bitter quiet, one noise stood out; coughing. Littlenose glanced beside him only to see that Roseheart was in a coughing fit. As she coughed, so did Heronkit. The elder and kit were moved to the medicine den, disrupting the vigil for Darktail. Though everyone watched into the night, Littlenose had a sinking feeling that left him with one question. _Will my mate end up like Darktail?_

* * *

A week had passed since the elder's death. Roseheart wasn't doing so well while Heronkit went quickly. Now, there were more cats sick. Flykit and Duskkit, sons of Hawkcloud, Honeyshine, Blossomspring, Mothkit and Smallkit were all sick with the strange cough. Mossleaf had tried everything for the sick WindClan cats. First she tried catmint, but it didn't work. When the catmint failed, she tried various other herbs, none of which worked. Despite her attempts to stay positive, Littlenose knew that without any cure, all those cats and more would die. With him now the only elder in the elder's den, the tom settled to sleep in his cold nest. As soon as he closed his eyes, his vision darkened. When he opened them again, he noticed he was in a starry landscape.

 _"Am I dead?" Was the first question he asked._

 _"No, you aren't," a she-cat stated. The tom turned around only to see a starry black and white she-cat answer him._

 _"Well that's a relief. Anyway, if I'm not dead, then why am I here?" Littlenose asked._

 _"Well, I come with a message, Littlenose. None of your Clanmates will survive unless a herb is found. This herb is called Shallowberry. It's an ancient herb that was lost to the Clans long ago. If you find it, then you can heal all your Clanmates," the StarClan she-cat stated. Littlenose simply stared at her, trying to gather all the information._

 _"So let me get this straight. I have no idea who you are or why you came to me, but you expect me to travel away from WindClan, find an herb that is lost to the Clans and bring it back? I have a few questions for you. One, why are you asking an elder of all cats to go on some journey to find a lost or forgotten herb? Why not ask a medicine cats or younger warriors who know what they're doing? Two, how do you expect me to find an herb like this? Three, as an elder I could suddenly die on a journey like this, so again, why chose someone who can die at anytime as opposed to a group or a younger warrior?" The ginger and white tabby questioned._

 _"To start off with your questions, I am WindClan's old medicine cat, Mintheart. I was alive even before_ you _were born, Littlenose. As for why I chose you although you are an elder, it is because it is StarClan's will. The ancient warriors of StarClan came to me and told me that you were the one who had to find the Shallowberry herb. Now, as for finding it, you must follow the path to Midnight. Like those kit tales you were told by your mother, you must go to the great salt lake and meet the badger who's there. Once you do, she will show you where the herb is so you can bring it back." Mintheart paused for a moment before continuing._

 _" And if you die on the journey, which you won't, then all hope is lost. So, you just can't die."_

 _"Your offer is flattering, but I need to stay with my mate. Roseheart needs me and if I go on some long journey, she could be dead by the time I get back. So I don't accept the journey. You can send someone, but just not me." The former WindClan medicine cat sighed and shook her head._

 _"Littlenose, you are the only one who can do this. I want to choose another, but you are the one the StarClan warriors want. As for your beloved, I promise Roseheart will live. I have seen the future and it showed me that your mate will survive., All you need to do is being back the Shallowberry. Once you do, not only your mate, but the entirety of WindClan will survive. You can still decide to stay, but it'll cost you greatly." The two cats were silent for a moment as the WindClan elder thought. With a look of silent defeat and with a sigh, he nodded._

 _"Yes , I will do this for you, Mintheart. Tomorrow, I will journey to find the herb, save WindClan and my mate. For the good of the Clan, right?"_

 _"Yes , Littlenose, for the good of the Clan!" With the former medicine cat smiling, the tom's vision faded away back into darkness._

The tom yawned and streched from his nest. Shaking his fur clean, he padded into the medicine den despite the risks. As he padded in, he saw his mate lying motionless. The only signs of life from her ragged, silver fur was her shallow breathing. _I will save you, Roseheart_ , the tom vowed. From the corner of his hazel eyes, the tom noticed a tired Mossleaf. The pale tortoiseshell looked dazed and tired. Clearly overworked, the tom gazed at her for a moment. _I will get the herb to help you_ , he thought. Padding towards the young she-cat he dipped his head.

"Mossleaf, you alright?"

"Wh-What? Of, yes I-I'm," the she-cat paused to yawn. "I'm fine, thank you Littlenose. Now what do you need? Please tell me you aren't sick too."

"No, don't worry Mossleaf, I'm not. However, there is some news I need to share with you. Last night in my dreams, the former WindClan medicine cat, Mintheart, came to me and told me of a herb that can help the Clan. Mossleaf, I need to go to the great salt lake. You know, the one from the kits stories about Brambleclaw, Crowfeather, Squirrelflight and the other warriors who were with them. She told me to find a herb called Shallowberry that will cure everyone. But, I must do it alone. If it's alright with you, can I get some traveling herbs before I leave? I'm going at sunhigh," the tom stated. The tortoiseshell medicine cat woke up a little more.

"So, you are going to go on this journey by yourself, right? And you will find a herb that you have no idea what it looks like, tastes likes or smells like. Is this all correct?"

"Yes it is. Look, it's not the most ideal situation, but I need to do it for Roseheart. She will die without this herb. And not only will she die, but our other Clanmates will too. So far, it only seems to affect elders, queens and kits. Kits and queens are our bloodlines for the Clan, without them, then there is no more WindClan. Mossleaf, you understand why I have to do it?" The she-cat thought for a moment then nodded.

"I understand. Now, let me prepare your herbs while you eat something. It's not a good idea to start a journey on an empty stomach," the medicine cat stated. The tom nodded before leaving the den. After finishing a quick rabbit, the tom headed back towards Mossleaf. As he did, a WindClan queen stopped him.

"Littlenose, is it true? Are you going to find a herb to save Flykit and Duskkit?" A black she-cat asked.

"Yes, I am Ravenfang. I hope I'll return safely to help the toms.

"Ravenfang, are Flykit and Duskkit okay? Will-Will they stay in WindClan?" A small, brown and white she-cat asked.

"Yes, your brothers will be fine Fawnkit." The small she-cat nodded and scampered away towards the nursery. Littlenose padded into the den to get his traveling herbs. Once he ate up the bitter plants, he padded away, leaving his Clanmates behind. _WindClan, I promise to bring back Shallowberries to help heal you. Roseheart my love, I will return and keep you safe. I promise._

* * *

The tom woke up with a start. Blinking his hazel eyes open, Littlenose felt very drowsy. As the ginger and white tabby got up, he streched before going hunting. Despite the tom being in his elderly age, he was still a fairly good hunter. Tasting the air, Littlnose began to hunt. Quickly, he managed to catch a mouse.

"Well, it's sure a scrawny thing, but it will do," he mumbled to himself. After he quickly finished his mouse, the elder got up and continued his journey. As he walked in silence, the tom gazed up into the sky.

"The clouds are growing dark and there may be a storm coming. I hope not, I need to finish this journey, otherwise Roseheart will..." the tom didn't finish his words. With a deep sigh, he quickened his pace. Of course he wasn't so lucky. A few hours later, lightning flashed through the sky as thunder roared from above. Rain pounded onto the tom's pelt as he trudged on. The dry earth quickly turned into mud, making his trip much harder. Though the dampened dirt slowed him down, the tom moved on with determination. His cold, wet fur hung on his pelt while he was wet to the bone. Though shivering, the tom didn't let that deter him from his quest. Though it was hard to tell, the sun was setting and Littlenose knew he needed to find shelter. After a few moments of searching, the best place for the tom was under a bush. Settling down for sleep, the hazel eyed elder quickly drifted off into his dreams. The ginger and white tom wasn't asleep for long when he heard a rumbling. Waking with a shiver, the tom gazed through the bush only to see water rushing towards him. With only a few moments to act, Littlenose slipped out from the bush and started to run away from the rushing water. Before he had a chance, the flood scoped him up and thrashed him through the rough waves. Littlenose desperately tried to swim to the surface with little luck. With his lungs burning, the tom made a desperate push for the surface, succeeding. Panting heavily, he started to swim towards the shore, quickly losing energy. By the time he was back on solid ground, the tom collapsed and simply laid by the water's edge for a few minutes. Getting up, the weak elder slowly padded to higher ground. Exposed in the open, Littlenose fell asleep, not caring if someone found him or not.

* * *

The night of the flood was draining for Littlenose. However, it didn't prepare him for the mountains. It was nearly two weeks since the flood that weakened Littlenose. Despite the flooding, he still at least found prey. In the mountains, he was not only greeted by the bitter, icy winds, but also the sense of hunger. Littlenose was starving and if the small elder didn't get prey quickly, he'd die. The snow packed mountains were brutal to the aging tom. Despite it all, he fought through the blizzard.

"This is for Roseheart! She will live!" The tom repeated to himself as often as he could. Despite the sting of the frost and the numbness of his paws, Littlenose did not fall. As he traveled through the mountains, the snow only got higher and higher which meant it was more challenging to get through. Finally, the tom's body couldn't take it anymore. Much to his annoyance, he collapsed into the snow.

"Get up," he kept telling himself, but his paws didn't more. Glancing down at his paws, Littlenose noticed they were dry and cracked. As he gazed hollow eyed at his trail, he saw his scarlet paw prints leading towards him. _I will not give up, not now after so far_ , he thought. Hauling himself up again, the elder managed a few more steps before he fell again. Wheezing and struggling to breath, Littlenose laid in the snowy path, defeated. So _this is the end? WindClan slowly dies out while Roseheart passes into StarClan without me? And I stay here, frozen in the snow away from my kits? Away from my Clan?_ Reluctantly accepting his decided fate, Littlnose closed his eyes unwillingly before darkness took his mind.

And yet, StarClan had a different fate for the ginger tabby. Littlenose weakly opened his hazel eyes as a sharp sting came from his paws. No longer was he freezing to death, but instead he was warm. Flicking his tail, the tom lifted his head, only to find himself with a group of cats.

"I see you're awake," a white she-cat commented. Looking around him, the WindClan elder realized where he was.

"Is this the Tribe of Rushing Water?" He asked the she-cat.

"It certainly is. How do you know of us? Are you one of the loner living beside our home?"

"No, I'm actually a Clan cat. I'm on a journey sent to me by StarClan. I only know of you through stories told by my mother, but I'm happy to have found you." The white she-cat chuckled.

"It's more like we found you. Oh I apologize for being rude. I'm Ice on Flowing River, but you can just call me Ice. What is your name?"

"Hello Ice, I am Littlenose of WindClan. I thank you for helping me here."

"Wow, you're a Clan cat? Can you tell us about your Clan?" A black she-cat asked.

"This is so amazing! Why are you here? How did you find us? What were you doing?" A white tom questioned.

"Are you okay? I mean, your pads were bleeding when you came in. Are you feeling okay?" A pale tortoiseshell and white she-cat asked aloud.

"Hey you three, slow down with the questions. Why don't you play with Heron's kits while Littlenose rests?"

"Aww but mother, we want to know more about him," the white tom replied. Though the Kit-Mother rolled her eyes, Littlenose chuckled and nodded.

"I'd be fine with telling you a story or two. Now, what are your names?" The ginger and white elder asked. The black she-cat stepped up and puffed out her chest with pride.

"I'm Bird who Glides in Darkness, but you can just call me Bird. I'm going to be a Cave-Guard!" The small she-cat added.

"I'm Snow that Falls from Branch or Snow," the white tom stated with a grin.

"And I'm Petal that Flies through Wing. So, will you tell us your story?" The pale tortoiseshell asked. The tom nodded.

"Yes, I will be glad to tell you a story." The three kits settled down as Littlenose began. Much like Darktail's stories, a few To-Bes and other kits gathered around him to listen to his words. The ginger and white tabby began to explain his situation. Starting up from when Darktail died from his sickness to the current time. The young cats hung onto his every word with joy and interest. After all, it wasn't everyday they met a Clan cat. When the tom finished his story, nearly the entire Tribe joined them. From the oldest elder to the youngest kit, they joined to listen to his adventure. Once he was done, they were all impressed with his journey.

"So, do you think you'll make it?" One of the other kits asked.

"Make it? Of course I do. This is for Roseheart, my mate. And it's not just for her, but for my Clanmates too," the tom stated. The Tribe cats cheered on his heroism before everyone quickly went to sleep.

* * *

A few days later, the blizzard died down and the snow was slowly being cleared. With his paws healed and belly full, Littlenose made the last stretch of his journey. Leaving the mountain, the tom looked towards the great salty lake for Shallowberries. After a few days of traveling, he had made it. On the wide shore, the ginger and white elder gazed around. The large blue waves crashed beside him as he gazed around for the badger. Out from a cave came the lumbering creatue.

"Midnight!" Littlenose called. The black and white creature gazed at the tom before padding towards him.

"Hello," the young male badger greeted. The WindClan elder gazed at him with confusion.

"I thought you were female," he stated.

"No, my mother was female, I am not. You don't know this cat, but Midnight is a name we pass through the generations. My mother's name was Midnight, her mother's name was Midnight, her father's name was the same and so on. Anyway, what brings you here cat?" The young badger asked.

"I'm looking for Shallowberries. I heard from a StarClan cat that they are the only things that will save my Clan. She told me you can help. Do you know where they are?"

"Yes tom, I do. Just follow me." The elder nodded as the two made their way away from the sands. Once they were away from the salty water, the two walked into a forest. Near the entrance, there was a bush filled with pale blue berries.

"These are the Shallowberries. I assume they were the ones you were looking for?"

"Yes, they were! Thank you Midnight," the tom gasped in joy. Grabbing a beech leaf, Littlenose collected as many as her could.

"Remember, the berries are consumed as it," the black and white beast instructed. The ginger and white tabby nodded.

"Thank you Midnight." With those final words, the tom left for WindClan.

* * *

Two weeks passed by the time Littlenose made it back to the terrtories. In total, he had spend two moons searching for the precious herb _. Roseheart, I'm home and now you'll be cured_ , the tom though. As he entered camp, he held his head high and proud. In his jaws hung the herb WindClan needed. Though the warriors looked weak, they lightened up when they saw the elder.

"Father, you're back!" A ginger she-cat exclaimed. Beside her, a large, silver and white tabby tom joined them.

"Cardinalsong! Minktooth, I'm glad to see the both of you!" Littlenose embraced his daughter while his son sat a few tail lengths away with hard hazel eyes.

"I'm so glad to see you all again, however I need to get a Shallowberry to Roseheart, please move," the tom stated. As he padded towards the medicine den, there was a look of sadness in the eyes of his Clanmates.

"What's wrong? Aren't you happy I've found the cure?"

"Of course we are father. But...Well, there's something we need to tell you. R-Roseheart died two days after you left," Cardinalsong sighed. The elder's blood froze as his claws sank into the ground.

"She died asking for you, you know. Instead, you were on some quest to save the Clan and be some sort of hero," Minktooth stated bitterly. Gilt and anger pecked at the tom as he remained silent.

"Littlenose, are you alright?" The tom's amber-eyed daughter asked.

"Yes, I'm fine, just take these to Mossleaf," the elder ordered. With a forced nod, Minktooth singled his sister and the two WindClan warriors padded into the medicine den. _Mintheart, have you lied?_ The tom thought in vexation. He knew he'd get his answer soon enough. The sun quickly snake and welcomed the night. As soon as he fell asleep, the starry landscape welcomed him.

 _"Mintheart, show yourself!" Littlenose ordered. As though she was listening to his orders, the former medicine cat appeared._

 _"Littlenose, I understand you're angry, but look at what you've done!" The she-cat began. "You have saved our Clan from death, now WindClan will live for future generations!"_

 _"I don't care about that now, you lied to me! You lied and now Roseheart is dead!" The tom yowled in rage._

 _"It was for the good of your Clan. Besides, does it really matter when Honeyshine, Flykit, Duskkit and everyone else is healed?"_

 _"Of course it does! I should've been there when Roseheart died! She would've died with her whole family supporting her! Instead, she was asking for me when she crossed into StarClan without knowing what had happened to me! Mintheart, you've lied only to fulfill what you wanted," Littlenose replied bitterly._

 _"Well, I had to lie. I've seen many futures and made the choice that was best for the Clan. You want to know why I really chose you? It was because of your determination and the love for Roseheart. If I had told you she would die, you would've never leave. In fact you would've fallen into a deep depression and died. From what I saw, you were the only one determined enough to go on. The other warriors I saw either gave up or died on the journey, but not you. Does it matter that one life was lost? Look at the other you saved!" The ginger and white tabby was dumbfounded._

 _"You manipulated me and my love for Roseheart to get what you want. That's not what a StarClan cat is meant to do."_

 _"It what had to be done. Now, I'm tired of talking to you, goodbye Littlenose," the she-cat growled. With those parting words, Littlenose woke up._

After he opened his hazel eyes, the tom felt hollow, but rage still consumed his heart.

"StarClan has lied to me and now Roseheart's dead. I'm glad my Clan will be okay, but on this day, I turn against my ancestors," the elder vowed as he drifted back to sleep.


End file.
